Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Shares Up 7.4% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Intel shares rose 7.4% in mid-day trading, hitting as high as $121.94, as investor sentiment improved around the stock and semiconductor sector.
• The rally was supported by optimism about Intel’s AI and turnaround efforts, including reports of possible acquisition talks with Tenstorrent, upbeat commentary on its latest chips, and CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s push to build a “new Intel.”
• Analysts are becoming more constructive, with several firms raising price targets, though the broader consensus still sits at Hold and the average target price remains well below the stock’s current level.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 7.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $121.94 and last traded at $118.96. 162,241,701 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 34% from the average session volume of 120,700,172 shares. The stock had previously closed at $110.80.

Intel News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Intel is benefiting from a broader chip rally ahead of Nvidia’s earnings, with traders rotating back into semiconductors as AI enthusiasm lifts the group. Resurging Chips Rally Gives Intel Stock NASDAQ: INTC a Second Wind
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Intel may be in early acquisition talks with AI-chip startup Tenstorrent are adding to optimism that the company is deepening its AI strategy and expanding its talent and product pipeline. Intel shares rise on reports of Tenstorrent acquisition talks
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush said Intel is pushing PC makers toward its latest chips, which investors read as a sign the company is protecting margins while driving adoption of newer products. Intel Pushes PC Makers Toward Latest Chips, Wedbush Says
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media commentary has also highlighted Intel’s turnaround, with higher price targets and upbeat views on its foundry and AI opportunities supporting the stock. Citi resets Intel stock price target for the rest of 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the company is building a “new Intel” with faster decision-making and flatter management, reinforcing the turnaround narrative but offering no immediate financial update. Intel CEO Is Building A 'New Intel' That Works At 'Speed Of Light'
• Neutral Sentiment: Samsung’s new enterprise laptop using Intel Core Ultra processors adds visibility for Intel’s product lineup, though it is more of a commercial validation than a major new revenue driver on its own. Galaxy Book6 Enterprise Edition Extends Connected Galaxy Experience to Enterprise IT Environments, Powered by Intel Core Ultra Processors

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on INTC. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Intel from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Intel from $45.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Rosenblatt Securities upped their target price on shares of Intel from $30.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Intel from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Intel from $70.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $81.52.

Intel Trading Up 7.4%

The stock has a market cap of $597.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -191.87 and a beta of 2.18. The firm's 50 day moving average is $70.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.87. The company has a quick ratio of 1.85, a current ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $13.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.32 billion. Intel had a negative net margin of 5.90% and a positive return on equity of 0.39%. Intel's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.13 earnings per share. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Intel Corporation will post 0.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Intel news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 40,256 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.53, for a total value of $4,006,679.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 105,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,458,313.81. This represents a 27.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Intel in the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Financially Speaking Inc grew its position in Intel by 69.2% in the 4th quarter. Financially Speaking Inc now owns 682 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new position in Intel in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Intel in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Intel in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 64.53% of the company's stock.

Intel Company Profile

Intel Corporation, founded in 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon E. Moore and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is a leading global designer and manufacturer of semiconductor products. The company is historically notable for introducing the first commercial microprocessor and for driving the x86 architecture that underpins many personal computers and servers. Intel's core business spans the design, fabrication and marketing of processors, chipsets and related components for a wide range of computing applications.

Intel's product portfolio includes client and mobile processors marketed under brands such as Intel Core and Pentium, as well as high-performance Xeon processors for data centers and cloud infrastructure.

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